00:00Yo people, top of the morning. How we doing today? My name is Meeko. This is Mornings with Meeko. Today, today I kind of felt a bit of a disruption in my spirit from, I had something planned, prepared, you know, to, to dive into the day. But I just, as I was going through it, I just felt a moment, I felt it just a need to just take a moment and just back away from that and just sit with God, be present and see like, what is the Holy Spirit had in this exact moment? And so I stopped, um, what I was going to do. And I began just sitting with God and journaling and something that he pulled my attention to that I'll share with you today is I really feel like this, um, as of recent, like this, I feel like God pulling me into the space of just being a better listener of just, I found myself in multiple conversations with people. And as of recent, and it's like, whether they're going through something or whether they're celebrating something or whether they're just kind of, um, just, just speaking about just the journey that they've been on as of recent or for a while and just where it is now. Um, I found myself just feeling like I have nothing necessarily to add to this, or I don't like, I'll find myself searching in a conversation. Okay. What do I add to this? And more and more, I'm just like, I don't think there's anything required of me in this moment. Not, not as far as a word. I think this is just an opportunity for me to just listen, not to respond, but just to empathize and to understand I've been going through this listening training. Um, and where I actually working to see how to package that and turn that into something that we could put on Pando or, um, even just do in person at some of the prisons that we're, that we, um, have a presence in. But I was reminded of a verse today. Um, James one 19th it says that everyone be quick to listen and slow to speak. And I was just reminded of how much of a virtue that is, how it is so important. And it's also so beneficial for the body to just be a good listener. Um, not everybody requires, you know, a word of advice or some wisdom from you. Do you have the ability to just sit with someone and what they're in, what they're dealing with and cheer them on in that moment, empathize with them, understand them deeper, take maybe some of those thoughts into prayer as you're praying for them. Um, but actually let that conversation just be a place for that individual to, to, to feel heard. Um, I know for some of us, especially if we're fixers or for, or for people who like, I hit a problem, I'm like, okay, well this is the answer. This is what you should do.
03:11You know, like we're quick to just kind of go into that mode, but that doesn't, every moment doesn't require that from us. Um, and it takes a sense of restraint, takes a sense of discipline. It takes a sense of understanding what is required of me in this moment, or what are you wanting, um, of me in this moment in this particular situation. Um, so it really takes just that sensitivity to the Holy spirit and the discipline to be obedient in that. And for me, that's something that I feel like God is, is growing me in and he's calling me to as a reason to just simply be a better listener with people to sit across from someone and to hear someone speak, share whatever it is that they may be dealing with and, and, um, not to, not to try to fix it, not to try to insert, you know, um, maybe a word that I may have not, none of that, you know, not every moment requires that and being in recognized, let us recognize when it, when that's not required of us, um, feel like that may be beneficial for somebody out there. I don't know who's got, who God has called you to just be a safe space for, right? Maybe this week, maybe today, maybe it's your bunky, but, um, if you are also, you know, uh, um, a fixer, so to say, um, let us, let us lock arms together, right. And, and, and, and, and not fix anything this week. Let us just sit with the individual that's across from us and let us just be a listening ear. Let us be a safe space. Let us be sensitive to the Holy spirit to, to, to, to, to ask God, Lord, what does this moment require me? What would you, how would you like to use me in this moment? And it may not require me to say anything or to, um, do anything. It may simply be. you wanting me to be a safe space for this person, for my eyes to be open, for my heart to be massaged by this conversation in a way that benefits this individual in a way that my words probably never could, right? I don't know who this is for, but I pray that, I don't know, I pray it blesses you. Take this again like everything, take it to the feet of Jesus and ask, God, who today, this week, who are you requiring something? Who are you placing in front of me and you require something different of me?